Rotary internal combustion engine



March' 30, 1937. w. H, CARD I ROTARY INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed June 12, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. [WW/am h- C /r/ v ATTORNEY.

March 30, 1937. w. H. CARD V ROTARY INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed June 12, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 5 Q 5 a o 2 5 I a/ 4 ///VV/vv/// fi 0 WM /7 5 Z 4 O 5 x 9 3 4 flww w 1 5 f 5 W 5 6 3 4 4 W M o I 8 G I 1 4 2 2 aw 5 0 G an m n, O w 7 G 1 E o 4 \\\\\\\E 6 6 v w W a INVENTOR. M/f/fiam H- Cbrd Patented Mar. 30, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE William H. Card, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor of one-half to Harry M. Swensen, Los Angeles,

Calif.

Application June 12, 1934, Serial No. 730,208

2 Claims.

My said invention relates to rotary internal combustion engines, in which a stationary cylindrical shaft, supported at its ends (preferably by the walls of a housing) is provided with an cc- 5 centric portion. A rotor, comprising a tubular shaft, having cylinder blocks clamped or otherwise rigidly secured to it, is journalled on noneccentric portions of said stationary shaft. A plurality of cylinders are formed in said blocks.

' Connecting rods of pistons within, and adapted to reciprocate with relation to said cylinders, are fioatingly pivoted, each to one bifurcated end of a respective rocker-arm, the other end of which rocker-arm is fixedly pivoted, with relation to the cylinder block, said rocker-arm at an intermediate point being also pivoted to a strap which strap is journalled on the above-mentioned eccentric portion of said stationary shaft. Relative reciprocatory motion between cylinders and their respective pistons, induced by conventional means well known in the art of internal combustion engines, is utilized by means of said eccentric and the linkage connections above briefly described to cause the whole rotor, comprising tubular shaft, cylinder-blocks, pistons,

cam and valve assemblies and parts of an ignition system to revolve around said stationary shaft, thus to function as a power rotor.

An important feature of said invention is that which provides an oil reservoir in the bottom of the housing, into which cam shafts, outer ends of valve stems, and other parts of the revolving mechanism dip at each revolution, thus atomizing the oil and spraying it, not only into the interior of the cylinders for conventional cooling purposes, but over and through every part of the Working mechanism.

It may aid to a quick perception of the operation of the device to preliminarily explain that pistons in each associated pair of cylinders reciprocate synchronously in unison, and to provide, for instance, for four-cycle operation, while one of an associated pair of pistons moves in a power stroke, the piston in its companion cylinder, moving synchronously and in unison in the same direction, is drawing in a charge of fuel mixture; while of the remaining pair of cylinders one is moving to expel the exhaust gases, while its companion is moving synchronously and in unison in the same direction to compress its fuel charge.

A broad general object of the invention is to provide a simple, compact,'and efiicient motor of comparatively light weight, and of great power in comparison with its weight, wherein each of the parts is easily accessible for replacement and repair.

Another important object is the saving of construction cost by the elimination of unnecessary parts and material and the rejection also of forms of mechanism requiring costly machining operations.

Still another object is the provision of a cooling and lubricating system, which, while highly eflicient, permits the elimination of expensive conventional equipment for such purposes, such as the radiator and water and oil pumps.

Efliciency and economy of operation are still other objects which are provided for, among other things by the assemblage which permits the use of roller bearings throughout, otherwise avoiding, particularly in the case of the power shaft, the comparatively great friction of Babbitt metal bearings,the provision for maintaining such bearings in a constant bath of sprayed oil adding infinitely to their most efiicient operation and long life. The comparatively light weight above mentioned is involved in a most important object of devising a construction and mode of operation which does not require the use of a heavy fly wheel, the cylinders and their associated parts comprising the rotor adding to their usual function that of maintaining momentum; and the compactness of the assemblage, which allows short connecting rods and rocker arms eliminating much weight and saving metal, while not sacrificing bore of the cylinders or stroke of the pistons.

Other objects and. corresponding advantages such as the important one of compactness resulting in economy of space of installation, accessibility for inspection of all working parts, the fact that the motor is designed so that due to the eccentric action the pistons are allowed to travel slower on the power and intake cycles than on those of the exhaust and compression, thus promoting the efficiency of operation heretofore mentioned, and the fact that the centrifugal motion of the rotor is utilized to cool and return the sprayed oil to the reservoir for continued use, all will be obvious to those of skill in this art from the following detailed description.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section through the motor, certain parts being broken away;

Fig. 2. is a cross section as seen on plane 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view, the housing being shown in section as indicated by line 33 on Fig; 2

Figs. 4 and 5 are detail sections as seen on correspondingly numbered planes of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 6 is a wiring diagram. 7

Referring with more particularity to the drawings, the motor comprises a pair of cylinder blocks 8 and 9 clamped together about a tubular main shaft I9 and further secured thereon by keys II. Main shaft I9 is rotatably supported in a cylindrical housing i2, by means of bearings l3 and I4, which are shown as bronze bushings, but antifriction bearings of ball or roller type may of course be used. The housing I2 is formed of upper and lower halves I5 and I6, provided with suitable flanges and secured together with bolts. The lower half serves as an oil reservoir and may be provided with feet IT to form a convenient method of supporting the motor. The upper half I5 has a large opening I8 closed by a cover I9, which may be removed to allow easy inspection of the working parts. Cover I9 has a screened opening 29 on one side while on the opposite side is an oil pan 25 from which an oil return duct 22 leads to the housing.

Co-axially of main shaft I9 is a stationary shaft 24 supported on anti-friction bearings 25 and 26 and provided with a flange 21 adapted to be. secured to the outside of the housing as by cap screws 28. Between bearings 25 and 29 an en larged eccentric portion 29 is formed on the stationary shaft. Shaft 24 also has a bore 39 closed at its inner end provided with ports 3| and 32 and connected to a carburetor 39 at its outer end. A bevel gear 34 is attached to the inner end of shaft 24 and is held stationary thereby.

Referring again to main shaft I9: this is made in two separate sections (see Fig. 1) one of which, indicated by Illa, extends between eccentric 29 and flange 21 on shaft 24, and the other I91) eX- tends from eccentric 29 on through bearing I4. This section carries the ignition timing mechanism indicated by 35, to be more fully described later, and a fly wheel 35, preferably having the spokes 31 formed as fan blades.

Cylinder blocks 8 and 9, have abutting faces 49 and 4| which meet on a diameter of shaft I9, and flanges 42 with inclined surfaces 43 parallel with face 49. Clamp blocks 44 having bevelled lips 45 to engage surfaces 43 are provided, a long bolt 49 tapped into shaft l9 serves to secure the clamp block in place. The arrangement is such that lips 45 engage surfaces 43 and as the clamp block is drawn inwardly by bolt 46, the cylinder blocks are wedged tightly together. Suitable dowel pins may of course be provided to insure proper positioning of the blocks.

As cylinder blocks 8 and 9 together with their pistons, valves, and associated mechanism are identical, only one will be described, such description applying equally well to the other. Cylinder block 9 has a pair of parallel bores 4'! within each of which a trunk piston 48 is arranged to reciprocate. Pistons 48 are of a type commonly used in internal combustion motors and have piston rings 49 and wrist pins 59. Mounted on wrist pins 59 are short connecting rods 5i the outer ends of which are pivotally connected by means of pins 52 to a forked rocker arm 53 (see Fig. 3). The opposite end of rocker arm 53 is oscillatably supported on pin 54 which is supported by clamp blocks 44. Between pins 52 and 54 is a crank pin 55 to which is attached an eccentric strap 56. This eccentric strap encompasses a large ball bearing 5i, and is held in place thereon by having the strap shrunk on. Ball bearing 51 is also pressed on eccentric 29. (See Fig. 5.) The conamass struction is such that as the pistons reciprocate within their bores, the entire cylinder block assembly is caused to revolve about stationary shaft 24.

A detachable head 99 closing the upper end of bores 41 is secured to block 9 by bolts 9 I, the usual gasket being employed to prevent leakage. A combustion space 92 is formed over bore 41, and inlet and exhaust ports 93 and 54 respectively communicate therewith. Communication between ports 93 and 94 and combustion space 62, is controlled by poppet valves 65 and 96 which are normally held in closed position on their seats by compression springs 61.

Ports 99 are formed in the cylinder block and 7 connect inlet ports 93 with openings 69 in shaft I9. Packing blocks i9 and II are fastened on shaft 24 between bearings 25, 29 and eccentric 29. Each has an external annular groove 12 which connects with ports 3! or 32, as the case may be of shaft 24 by radial port I3. Thus intake port 53 is in continuous communication with carburetor 93 through ports 99, 99, annular groove 12, port I3, ports 3I or 32, and bore 39 in shaft 24.

Similarly passageways I4 connect exhaust ports 94 with the inside of shaft I9 through openings formed in the walls thereof. Orifices IS in flange 2? permit the exhaust gases from the left hand end of the motor to escape, While those from the right hand end escape directly from the bore of shaft iii.

A cam shaft I9 is supported in bearings 19 mounted on blocks 44 and is arranged to be driven by gearing later described. Each cam shaft has earns 99 adapted to open valves 65, 65 by unseating them against the pressure of springs 61. A spark plug 9! is placed in each combustion space to ignite the mixture. The cycle of events and the valve action is the same as in the conventional type of four cycle internal combustion motor.

A bevel gear 92 is attached to cam shaft 18 and meshes with a pinion 93 attached to the end of a cross shaft 94. This cross shaft is supported in bearings 85 and 86, and carries an intermediate gear 91 engaging stationary pinion 34. The arrangement is such that as the cylinder assembly revolves about stationary shaft 24, the cam shaft I8 will rotate in its bearings at one half the number of revolutions.

The ignition system will now be described: Referring to Figs. 4 and 6, a conventional type of low tension circuit breaker is illustrated. A plate of insulating material 99 encompasses shaft I9 and is held in place against the outer face of bearing I4 by cap screws 9|. A breaker arm 92, also of insulating material is pivotally attached to plate 99 by a stud 93 and carries a roller 94 adapted to be engaged by projections 95 on shaft I9. The opposite end of the breaker arm carries a contact point 99 which may be grounded to the engine frame by lead 91. Contact point 96 normally closes a circuit through a second contact point 99 carried on plate 99 and adjustable with relation to point 96. A tension spring 99 serves to keep the points normally in contact.

A distributor I99 is mounted on cam shaft 18, and is formed of a cylinder of insulating material I9I, encircled near either end by metal contact strips I92, I93. Between strips I92 and I93 are segmental strips I94 and I95. Segment I94 is connected to strip I92 while segment I95 is connected to strip I93. Brushes I99 and I91 are Suitably supported in an arm I08 of insulating material and are in sliding contact with strips I02 and I03 respectively. A thin metal strip I09 connects each brush with a spark plug 8|.

On the inside of the upper half of the housing I5 near its center is an arcuate piece of insulating material III carrying a conductor strip H2 (see Figs. 2 and 3). A similar piece of insulating material H3 of greater width but without the conductor strip extends along the inner periphery of the lower half of the housing (see Figs. 1 and 2). The construction is such that as the cylinder block assembly revolves, the segmental strips I04 and I05 on the distributor will pass very close to the conductor strip H2 and due to the rotation of cam shaft I8 and distributor I00 segment I04 and segment I05 will alternately be exposed to the conductor H2.

The ignition system in general follows conventional lines, as will be evident from an inspection of Fig. 6. The breaker mechanism, previously described, is connected between one side of the primary H4 of an induction coil and ground.

= The other side of the primary is connected to one pole of a battery H5 or other source of current, a switch H6 being interposed whereby the current flow may be stopped when desired. The other pole of the battery is grounded. The secondary of the coil II! also has one side grounded through lead H8, the other side being connected through a lead I I9 to conductor strip H2.

As shaft I0 revolves, projection 95 rides under roller 94 swinging arm 92 about its supporting pivot and breakingthe contact between points 96 and 91. This interrupts the flow of current through the primary H4 (assuming of course that switch H6 is closed) and induces a high tension current in secondary I I1, all in a manner well understood. At the time the primary circuit is broken one of the distributors I00 will be at some point intermediate the length of conductor strip H2, and either segment I04 or I05 will be adjacent to it. Thus the high tension current will flow from secondary II I, through lead H9, conductor H2, segment I04, for example, and its connected strip I02, brush I06 and lead I 09 to spark plug 8|. Thence across the spark gap to ground in the cylinder block and engine frame. The insulating plate I I3 is to preclude the possibility of the high tension current straying from the outer end of the spark plug to housing instead of jumping the gap as desired.

The housing is filled with oil to about the level indicated by numeral I20, and as the motor turns over it is pulsed and distributed to all moving parts in the form of a fine spray or mist. It collects on the cover I9 and runs back into pan ZI, from Where it is returned to the housing through tube 22. The fan blades 31 in the fly wheel circulate air about the housing, which serves to cool the motor.

While I have thus illustrated and described a specific embodiment of my invention in which there are four cylinders and four-cycle operation, and in which associated pairs of cylinders are arranged so that their axes are parallel, it will be quite obvious to those of skill in this art that more or less than four cylinders may be employed and the axial arrangement, and. linkage connections may be changed without de- I parting from the spirit of my invention.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

g1. In a four-cycle rotary internal combustion engine, the combination of a stationary shaft carrying an eccentric, two rotatable hollow shaft members, each enclosing and journalled concentric with portions of said stationary shaft, two pairs of cylinders rigidly secured in spaced relation to and in parallel axial alignment with each other, one pair of said cylinders on each of said rotatable hollow shaft members, one pair of each of said cylinders being on diametrically opposite sides of its respective rotatable hollow shaft member, pistons in each of said cylinders, a strap journalled on said eccentric, said strap having oppositely disposed radial arms, linkage pivotally connecting each of said pistons to said strap and to a point fixed with relation to said cylinders, and means comprising fuel feeding, ignition, and exhaust mechanism to cause relative reciprocatory motion of said pistons and cylinders.

2. In a rotary internal combustion motor, the combination of a fixed support, two rotatable hollow shaft members carried in axial alignment by said support, a pair of cylinders rigidly secured in spaced relation and in parallel axial align ment with each other on each of said rotatable shaft members, all of said cylinders having their axial centers in the same plane, one pair each of said cylinders being secured on a side of said rotatable hollow shaft members diametrically opposite that of the other pair of said cylinders and one pair of said cylinders having their bores opening in a, direction opposite the other pair of said cylinders.

WILLIAM H. CARD. 

